Window guards

ABSTRACT

A guard for a window which includes one or more metal bars which extend across the pane on the inside of the window from different points to different points on the frame and are attached to the frame at each point. Carried by the bar or bars between the bars and the pane and in contact with the pane are a wood molding or moldings which harmonize in style and decor with the frame and present the appearance of mullions. When there is more than one bar, the bars may extend parallel to or at an angle to each other and in the latter event may cross or not cross each other. When bars cross each other, they are notched at their point or points of intersection so that their inner faces lie in the same plane. The moldings are preferably channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold them on the bar or bars.

United States Patent [191 Smith Nov. 11, 1975 [54] WINDOW GUARDS Roy F. Smith, 17590 Asbury Park, Detroit, Mich. 48235 [22] Filed: June 6, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 477,309

[76] Inventor:

[52] U.S. Cl. 52/106; 49/50; 49/57; 52/456 [51] Int. Cl. E06B 3/68 [58] Field of Search 52/456, 457, 455, 459, 52/507, 106; 49/50, 57, 56, 62

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,058,517 10/1962 Jacobs et al. 49/57 X 3,099,865 8/1963 Burnett 49/57 X 3,340,661 9/1967 Krieger.... 49/57 X 3,358,412 12/1967 Martin 49/57 X 3,381,431 5/1968 Jacobson 49/57 X 3,474,587 lO/1969 Martin 51/456 3,504,468 4/1970 Martin 52/456 X 3,645,058 2/1972 Jacobson et al. 52/456 3,678,651 7/1972 Hicks 52/456 X Primary E.\'aminerPhilip C. Kannan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-A. F. Baillio [5 7] ABSTRACT A guard for a window which includes one or more metal bars which extend across the pane on the inside of the window from different points to different points on the frame and are attached to the frame at each point. Carried by the bar or bars between the bars and the pane and in contact with the pane are a wood molding or moldings which harmonize in style and decor with the frame and present the appearance of mullions. When there is more than one bar, the bars may extend parallel to or at an angle to each other and in the latter event may cross or not cross each other. When bars cross each other, they are notched at their point or points of intersection so that their inner faces lie in the same plane. The moldings are preferably channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold them on the bar or bars.

10 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 11,1975 Sheet1of2 3,918,202

US. Patent Nov.- i1, 1975 Sheet2 of2 3,918,202

WINDOW GUARDS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION To thwart would-be intruders; it'has been the practice to install bars, gratings, heavy screens or the like over window openings in walls and doors of buildings. Such devices are generally unsightly and relatively expensive and to a degree defeat purposes of windows by obstructing vision and light.

Pseudo-mullions, such as that shown in the Mason US Pat. No. 2681481, dated June 22, I954, which lend the appearance of mullioned windows to windows with single panes are also known but they are fragile and afford no protection against would-be intruders.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The object of the invention is to'provide means for safe-guarding windows against intruders which is effective, attractive and relatively inexpensive and offers very little obstruction to vision or light. More particularly, it is the object of the invention to provide such a guard for windows with wood frames which harmonizes with the style and decor of the frames and 'may be easily installed during manufacture of the windows or by the home owner or other workman after the window has been built and installed. I i

More specifically, the invention resides in a strong metal bar or bars for installation on the inside of a window with a wood frame and carries on its glass side a wood molding or moldings which in style and decor harmonizes with the window frame and is held on the bar or bars by adhesion and contact with the glass and gives the appearance of a mullioned window to a window with a single pane of glass.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the inside of the upper sash of a conventional double-hung window with a guard in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one end one of the elements of the guard and the adjacent portion of one of the rails to which it is attached.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary section through one of the elements of the guard on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded view of the guard at the point of intersection of its elements.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with another means of attaching the elements of the guard to the rails.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 7 with a third means of attaching the elements of the guard to the rails.

FIG. 9 is a section on the line 99 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIGS. 2, 7 and 8 with a fourth means of attaching the elements of the guard to the rails.

FIG. 11 is a section on the line ll-lI of FIG. 10.

FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are views of windows with guards in accordance with the invention in which the elements of the guards are arranged differently.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The sash 1 shown in FIG. I is basically the upper sash of a conventional double-hung window and consists of wood side and upper and lower rails 2, 3 and 4 which frame a single pane of glass 5.

To thwart would-be intruders, there are provided bars 6 and 7 of strongmetal, such as aluminum alloy, which extend between and are securely attached to the side and upperand lower rails, respectively, on the inside of the window. At the points at which they cross, the bars are provided with interfitting notches 8 and 9 so that their inner and outer faces lie in the same planes.

To give the bars 6 and 7 the appearance of mullions which harmonize in style and decor with the frame of the window, there are installed on the bars wood moldings l0 and 11 of appropriate cross section with grooves 12 in their inner faces which fit sufficiently snugly over the bars that the moldings adhere to them. The moldings are installed on the outer sides of the bars and the grooves are of such depth that the moldings fit firmly against the glass when the bars are attached to the window and by this means are additionally held in place on the bars.

The guard may be installed on the sash in the course of its manufacture or by a home owner or other workman after the sash is completed. I

If the guard is to be installed after the window is completed, it is preferably attached to the window as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. In these figures, there are provided in the ends of the bars 6 and 7 inclined bores 12 through which screws 13 extend into the rails 2, 3 and 4. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the guard may be attached to the window by T-shaped plates 14 whose arms overlie the ends of the bars and adjacent portions of the rails and are fastened to them by screws 15.

If the guard is to be installed during the course of manufacture of the window, the bars are preferably attached to the rails by dowel pins as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and 10 and 11. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the dowel pins 16 extend through bores 17 in the rails into bores 18 in the outer ends of the bars and are suitably fixed in the rails.

In FIGS. 10 and 11, there are provided in the ends of the bars 6 and 7 and in the rails 2, 3 and 4 registering blind bores 19 and 20. In the bores 20, in the bars,

there are installed pins 21 which are slidable in the bores so that their outer ends may be projected into the corresponding bores 19 in the rails to attach the bars to the rails. The pins are made shorter than the depth of the bores in the bars so that they may be completely housed in them and the bores in the rails are made blind and of such depth that the pins may not be completely housed in or escape from them. To project the outer ends of the pins into the bores in the rails and hold them there, springs 22 may be installed behind the pins in the bores in the bars. To retract the outer ends of the pins from the bores in the rails to remove the guards from the window, there may be provided on the pins fixed or removable lateral fingers 23. Alternatively, the fingers 23 may serve as projecting means and holding means as well as retracting means.

Thus, there are provided guards for windows which are strong enough to thwart would-be intruders and yet, instead of detracting from the appearance of the window, actually enhance it.

The elements of the guards may be arranged differently than as shown in the preceding figures. For examples. instead of crossing bar and molding elements, there may be provided one or more independent bar and molding elements 24 arranged generally horizontally or vertically as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, and instead of generally horizontal and generally vertical bar and molding elements, one or more diagonal bar and molding elements which extend independently between different rails of the window frame 25 or cross each other as shown in FIG. 14.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a window which includes a frame and a pane carried by the frame, of a stiff bar which extends across the pane from one point to another on the frame and is attached to the frame at both points, and a strip which extends lengthwise of the bar and is located between a surface of the pane and the surface of the bar which faces the pane and is carried by the bar.

2. The invention claimed in claim 1 in which the bar holds the strip in contact with the pane.

3. The invention claimed in claim 1 in which the strip is channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold it on the bar.

4. The invention claimed in claim 2 in which the strip is channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold it on the bar.

5. The combination, with a window which includes a frame and a pane carried by the frame, of a stiff bar 4 which extends across the pane on the inside of the window from one point to another on the frame and is attached to the frame at both points, and a strip which extends lengthwise of the bar and is located between a surface of the pane and the surface of the bar which faces the pane and is carried by the bar.

6. The invention claimed in claim 5 in which the strip is channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold it on the bar.

7. The combination, with a window which includes a wood frame and a pane carried by the frame. of two stiff metal bars which extend across the pane on the inside of the window from different points to different points and cross each other and are attached to the frame at each point and have interfitting notches at the points at which they cross so that their inner surfaces which face the pane lie in the same plane, and wood strips which extend lengthwise of the bars and are located between a surface of the pane and the inner surfaces of the bars and are carried by the bars.

8. The invention claimed in claim 7 in which the bars hold the strips in contact with the pane.

9. The invention claimed in claim 7 in which the strips are channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold them on the bars 10. The invention claimed in claim 8 in which the strips are channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold them on the bars.

=l l l 

1. The combination, with a window which includes a frame and a pane carried by the frame, of a stiff bar which extends across the pane from one point to another on the frame and is attached to the frame at both points, and a strip which extends lengthwise of the bar and is located between a surface of the pane and the surface of the bar which faces the pane and is carried by the bar.
 2. The invention claimed in claim 1 in which the bar holds the strip in contact with the pane.
 3. The invention claimed in claim 1 in which the strip is channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold it on the bar.
 4. The invention claimed in claim 2 in which the strip is channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold it on the bar.
 5. The combination, with a window which includes a frame and a pane carried by the frame, of a stiff bar which extends across the pane on the inside of the window from one point to another on the frame and is attached to the frame at both points, and a strip which extends lengthwise of the bar and is located between a surface of the pane and the surface of the bar which faces the pane and is carried by the bar.
 6. The invention claimed in claim 5 in which the strip is channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold it on the bar.
 7. The combination, with a window which includes a wood frame and a pane carried by the frame, of two stiff metal bars which extend across the pane on the inside of the window from different points to different points and cross each other and are attached to the frame at each point and have interfitting notches at the points at which they cross so that their inner surfaces which face the pane lie in the same plane, and wood strips which extend lengthwise of the bars and are located between a surface of the pane and the inner surfaces of the bars and are carried by the bars.
 8. The invention claimed in claim 7 in which the bars hold the strips in contact with the pane.
 9. The invention claimed in claim 7 in which the strips are channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold them on the bars.
 10. The invention claimed in claim 8 in which the strips are channel-shaped with flanges which embrace and hold them on the bars. 